


We Drive Each Other Mad

by ChiaRoseKuro



Series: A World of One's Own [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Character Study, Drabble, Gen, Prompt Fic, Songfic, relationship if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 09:30:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14077932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiaRoseKuro/pseuds/ChiaRoseKuro
Summary: This is the man who killed his best friend’s entire clan on a whim, took his teacher and warped him beyond what any normal human being should be. This is the darkness in his village, the one who broke so many good shinobi for his own twisted purposes and killed so many others for his own arrogant needs. For all the wars he never let end, for all the hearts he broke asunder beneath his foot—this is forthem, forall of them, and Naruto can’t spare a single tear for the death he caused.It’s a long time coming,he tells himself, and if it’s a little dark then that’s understandable.You won’t hurt anyone else again,he promises, and that—that is his word.(it's Naruto who stains his hands, this time around, but even a ripple can cause a wave)





	We Drive Each Other Mad

**Author's Note:**

> There isn't much in the way of warnings, unless the focus around a minor (?) character death and possible indications of budding homosexual feelings are things to avoid. Still, there's a vague if not quick description of someone dying, so if you don't want to read that... you're best off not reading the fic at all. But if you're adamant on reading but don't want the potentially gory details, skip the first paragraph and you should be good.
> 
> Special thanks to G-Eazy & Halsey's _Him & I_ for inspiring me through the four or so hours it took to write this up, the prompt 'I'm not really surprised you murdered him' for providing the theme but making even less of a direct appearance than the last one, and ro-chan for inadvertently steering me towards angst with our unrelated discussion. Who knew talking about angsty Bakugou-centric ideas would bleed into my Naruto works?

* * *

 

For all his airs and stolen Sharingan, Shimura Danzō bleeds—pleads for his life, shows fear in his eyes—like any other human being. It’s an old war-hawk that rushed at him in all his arrogance and a sack of flesh that finally hits the ground, devoid of life and more than half the blood it should have, but his breath is still steady in his chest and his mind is curiously blank.

This is the man who killed his best friend’s entire clan on a whim, took his teacher and warped him beyond what any normal human being should be. This is the darkness in his village, the one who broke so many good shinobi for his own twisted purposes and killed so many others for his own arrogant needs. For all the wars he never let end, for all the hearts he broke asunder beneath his foot—this is for _them_ , for _all of them_ , and Naruto can’t spare a single tear for the death he caused.

 _It’s a long time coming,_ he tells himself, and if it’s a little dark then that’s understandable.

 _You won’t hurt anyone else again,_ he promises, and that—that is his word. That is the light at the end of the tunnel, and if it means cutting down everyone else associated to him?

(it rings of Danzō’s creed, Danzō’s malicious purpose, but Naruto will never be like him for the world)

(if he must kill himself for hurting the innocent like he did—)  
  


* * *

  
In between the construction efforts, Tsunade’s coma and the never-ending shock of having people _smile_ and _acknowledge_ him for the first time in his life, Naruto’s not exactly keeping a close eye on his things like he does. Oh, there’s now the occasional fangirl stalking him—and isn’t _that_ a novelty, having someone like him like _that?_ —and everyone’s either asking after the old hag or asking after _him_ , but it’s different. It’s new, so new that he wonders whether it’ll wear off all too soon and he wakes up to what is usually his life, but then he walks into his miraculously intact apartment and…

At first glance, there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s an empty ramen cup on his table, his bedroom door’s flung wide open and held back by a few dirty jumpsuits and everything looks like it needs a good clean. Sakura’s friendly ribbing exists as dents in the wall and ink splatters from Sai’s attempts at art frame them.

Everything is in order. Everything, that is, except for the itch on his right hand.

“Show yourself!” Naruto yells, spinning around his living room with his lips pulled back. He must look crazy, he thinks a moment later—there is nothing obviously out of place and all he’s acting on is paranoia—but then there’s the tiniest of sighs.

And then, with a faint rustle and a sound like breaking glass, Sasuke’s standing in front of Naruto.

He hasn’t changed much. There’s the whole gay pirate look still going on and that mouth’s definitely seen more frowning than the average person, but there’s something about the slant of his shoulders and the tension in his hands which seems… different, somehow. Like he’s uncertain where they stand, how they relate to each other after so long, and…

“I heard Danzō’s dead,” Sasuke says, apropos of nothing.

His body is relaxed but there’s steel in his eyes. Naruto looks into them, black turned red with a cold tightness about them, and in that moment he knows. Oh, he _knows_.

“It’s a shame,” Naruto replies, but there’s an uptick to his mouth and it’s mirrored in Sasuke’s.

“He did so much for the village,” Sasuke muses in an almost _cheerful_ tone, but then it’s back to cold and flat when he drops the smile and adds, “and now you’re a hero despite it.”

 _Aren’t you proud of yourself,_ Naruto hears behind it. And… is he?

A breath ghosts against his ear and Sasuke’s whispering, “It should have been _me_.”

There’s anger there, dark and potent—so why does it sound so hollow to Naruto’s ears?

A brush of his sleeve against his own and Sasuke’s gone, wrapped up in a genjutsu so strong he can’t sense it beyond the itch in his hand. Scratching idly at it with his other hand, Naruto drifts to his bed and falls into it, too tired to do as he’d planned and take a long, hot shower.

 _Danz_ _ō’s dead,_ Sasuke repeats in his head, and that should be the end of it.

And yet.  
  


* * *

  
Itachi’s dead. Danzō’s dead. Sakura had begged him, once, to bring Sasuke back home, but Naruto…

He loved this village, once. Loved it with a heart broken by its villagers over and over again, patched up so sloppily that he’s not sure all the pieces are there anymore, and loves it still. There will be no other person like his big brother Iruka, no grandmother quite like Tsunade, but Naruto…

 _It should have been **me** , _he hears in his head, and he thinks he understands it now.

Shouldering his pack with a grim press of his lips, Naruto leaps from the wall and hits the ground running.

**Author's Note:**

> For further author notes and other things related to this fic or series, feel free to check out my [blog](https://chiarosekuro.wordpress.com/). I've got other writing stuff on there as well, if that piques your interest, but you're best checking out 'We Drive Each Other Mad' or 'A World of One's Own' if you want this fic/series specifically.


End file.
